In response to below, I wonder if bloggers do run into the trouble of losing their voice and selling out after a certain point. I'm sure this is more probable with head bloggers. But I wonder about the tail bloggers, the average blogger like me. It seems that if there is no reason to catch mass attention, there would be no need for me to change my voice. It seems there is a certain tone that bloggers might take to get attention. In an interview with Aylet Waldman, a novelist, she said, "There is a tone that you have to adopt in order to make your voice heard amidst the general cacophony. You have to make it pop. And an easy way to make it pop is for it to be snarky." But what if some readers don't like to read an always-irritable voice? In other cases, some might change their subject matter or the look of their blog.
But I would especially not have to worry about changing my voice if I'm an unknown. I know that, along with myself, very few (if any) people will read this. Even if I became known, wouldn't I keep the voice I've been writing in if that's what's been attracting readers? I would think so.
But what if I wanted attention to my blog to get acknowledgment that what I have to say matters to somebody? In that case, trying to get that attention may be a losing battle. Firstly, because I have no idea how to get mass attention. Secondly, because I don't think what I have to say is groundbreaking or of interest to very many people.
In all honesty, however, I do want someone to read and respond to my blog. If I'm going to have it all out in the open, I obviously want some attention. If I kept this in my own personal journal, not expecting or wanting anyone else to read it, I would have no other audience in mind but future self, who would go back and read my past to see how far I've come and how much I've learned. But having a public blog changes things. Now, I have a public audience and I want them to see and learn what I've written about. If I did want to get their attention and thought that changing my voice is the way to do that, how do I know how to change? What if I don't think snarky will work?
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Bloggers could become easy prey to standard public relations techniques
by Tom Foremski for SiliconValleyWatcher.com
As companies and their public relations organizations ponder how to react to the “blogging” phenomenon, I’d like to point out some tricks of the trade used in the business of influencing media.
Forewarned is forearmed some say, and maybe some of the following will help bloggers who are not professional journalists.
I believe that some bloggers are in danger of losing their independence and their unique voice within the media landscape—if they become pulled into a sphere of influence. This is the “sphere” that professional journalists operate in every day and cannot avoid.
This sphere of influence has many aspects. It involves conversations with company representatives, being included in pre-briefings on important company announcements or mergers, prompt return of phone calls during breaking stories, invitations to events, being fed exclusive stories, and easy access to top executives. In each of those examples, there is a point of leverage that can be subtle, or it can be blunt and to the point.
I might not make too many friends by raising such topics but part of my mission with this venture is to educate readers about how the media “sausage” is made. And if bloggers give up a key vantage point as commentators on the media, by allowing themselves to be pulled into the sphere of influence, we will be poorer for it.
It is impossible to work as a professional journalist and not be influenced in some way. If this wasn’t true, there would not be a massive public relations industry. Many PR companies compare the cost of influencing editorial coverage with the cost of advertising in that publication. A common metric is a number that represents the ratio of: (PR cost of generating a certain amount of column inches in publication)/ advertising cost in that publication. Obviously, there is a higher value on editorial content.
by Tom Foremski for SiliconValleyWatcher.com
As companies and their public relations organizations ponder how to react to the “blogging” phenomenon, I’d like to point out some tricks of the trade used in the business of influencing media.
Forewarned is forearmed some say, and maybe some of the following will help bloggers who are not professional journalists.
I believe that some bloggers are in danger of losing their independence and their unique voice within the media landscape—if they become pulled into a sphere of influence. This is the “sphere” that professional journalists operate in every day and cannot avoid.
This sphere of influence has many aspects. It involves conversations with company representatives, being included in pre-briefings on important company announcements or mergers, prompt return of phone calls during breaking stories, invitations to events, being fed exclusive stories, and easy access to top executives. In each of those examples, there is a point of leverage that can be subtle, or it can be blunt and to the point.
I might not make too many friends by raising such topics but part of my mission with this venture is to educate readers about how the media “sausage” is made. And if bloggers give up a key vantage point as commentators on the media, by allowing themselves to be pulled into the sphere of influence, we will be poorer for it.
It is impossible to work as a professional journalist and not be influenced in some way. If this wasn’t true, there would not be a massive public relations industry. Many PR companies compare the cost of influencing editorial coverage with the cost of advertising in that publication. A common metric is a number that represents the ratio of: (PR cost of generating a certain amount of column inches in publication)/ advertising cost in that publication. Obviously, there is a higher value on editorial content.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
No Fear in Honesty and Disagreement
As I’ve read and researched about blogs, I’m finding that certain spheres have found a use for and have manipulated blogs to suit their purpose. Business is using blogs to talk about their products; journalism for getting stories out (esp. those stories that don’t get enough coverage or none at all); the individual for sharing their life and thoughts. From all this research, there are some commonalities between these spheres in their use of blogs. That is, they are opening up and trying to be as honest as possible because internet users and blog readers can spot a phony from a mile away.
I find this common thread to be very ensuring. It suits the internet as a free source of information (for the most part). It is the ultimate democracy. And the users are enforcing honesty on it. They are the ones that will call out a phony right on the phony’s and their own blog. So, blog creators must be sure that their info is accurate and honest, or else someone is liable to call them out.
Beyond honesty, there is more openness and wilingness to disagree because of the comfort in anonimity. On first impression, concealing one’s identity and attacking someone would be considered cowardice. However, if acknowledging one’s identity will keep one from speaking the truth or pointing out a falsehood, perhaps anonimity isn’t all that bad, especially for the timid.
I find this common thread to be very ensuring. It suits the internet as a free source of information (for the most part). It is the ultimate democracy. And the users are enforcing honesty on it. They are the ones that will call out a phony right on the phony’s and their own blog. So, blog creators must be sure that their info is accurate and honest, or else someone is liable to call them out.
Beyond honesty, there is more openness and wilingness to disagree because of the comfort in anonimity. On first impression, concealing one’s identity and attacking someone would be considered cowardice. However, if acknowledging one’s identity will keep one from speaking the truth or pointing out a falsehood, perhaps anonimity isn’t all that bad, especially for the timid.
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